Gov. Bill Ritter has signed a law to broaden civil protection orders in Colorado to include pets. It includes threats or acts of violence against pets as part of the definition of abuse of spouses, the elderly and at-risk adults.

Dr. Frank Ascione, a psychologist who heads the institute, testified in the legislature on behalf of the bill introduced by Sen. Linda Newell and Rep. Jerry Frangas. Ascione has done research that shows that pets sometimes are used as leverage against abuse victims.

Before coming to DU, he joined several other researchers in a 2007 study of domestic violence and animal abuse. It asked 100 women who had not been abused by their spouses whether their pets had. Only 5 percent said yes. When 100 women who had been abused were asked if their pets had, too, 54 percent said yes.

“Senate Bill 80 will give law enforcement the ability to protect families, children and those who are at-risk,” said Gov. Ritter. “This legislation fills a gap between civil and criminal law to protect families.”

Rep. Newell added: “Abusers and stalkers often follow a ‘pattern of crime over time': damage property, injure or kill a pet, then attack their victim. This will close a gap in our law to provide law enforcement and the courts with another tool to prevent domestic violence and potentially save lives.”

Ascione and his team at the institute have been studying the many – and sometimes unexpected – ways pets influence the behavior and well-being of humans. They recently launched an ambitious effort to examine how animal abuse cases are handled through every step of the system in Colorado.

On April 1, the ASPCA launched “Fight Animal Cruelty,” a web component that is accessible via www.aspca.org. The website includes a comprehensive anti-cruelty database allowing users to learn about humane laws and designated penalties in their state and a humane directory to locate local humane law enforcement agencies. The site section also includes anti-cruelty prevention tips and links to articles, success stories and online advocacy campaigns.

Weight: Pet owners should take steps to provide their pet with a nutritious, balanced diet, complemented by daily exercise to ensure their pet’s weight remains within the recommended range (which varies by breed and animal).

Pain Management: In the wild, showing pain makes an animal easy prey. So if a pet is in pain, their instinct is to hide it. However, ignoring or overlooking changes in a pet’s behavior may lead to a small problem becoming much bigger.Changes in attitude, activity levels and ability or interest in regular activities like climbing stairs or taking walks are clues that help veterinarians diagnose pain.

Parasites: Fleas, ticks and other parasites flourish in warmer temperatures and often live in areas pets love to explore. Many parasites found on pets can be transmitted to humans. Regular check-ups keep pets parasite-free and their owner’s skin from crawling.

Wellness: For pets, an annual check-up is like going to the doctor once in seven years. During that time a lot can change, making annual wellness exams critical to quality pet care. Thorough examinations and screenings are key to catching small problems before they become more difficult to manage.

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PET CALENDAR

Colorado State University veterinarians will provide free eye exams to service dogs on May 22 at the university’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Guide dogs, handicapped assistance dogs, detection dogs and search and rescue dogs can participate in the eye exam event with an appointment. Registration for appointments ends May 16. The hospital is at 300 W. Drake Road in Fort Collins. To qualify, dogs must be active working dogs who are certified by a formal training program or organization or currently enrolled in a formal training program. The certifying organization must be national, regional or local.

To obtain a free exam, service dog owners must complete two separate steps. Owners must first register their animal via an online registration form at www.acvoeyeexam.org by May 16. Once registered online, the owner should contact the CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital at (970)-297-4137. Appointments are available from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Many people who don’t own cats give felines a bad rap, according to a survey co-sponsored by the Morris Animal Foundation, a Denver-based animal welfare organization.

Commonly held misunderstandings and myths about cats are part of the reason felines get less veterinary care, are the subject of less health research and are euthanized at a higher rate when they enter shelters. the survey indicated.

This is despite the fact that there are more cats than dogs in American homes. the survey noted. The other sponsors were the American Pet Products Association and Maddie’s Fund, a charitable foundation in Alameda, Calif.

More than half of those surveyed had an overall negative attitude toward cats. Top causes for negative opinions were litter box smell, shedding, unprovoked biting and the perceived inability of cats to get along with other pets.

The three top-rated negative behaviors cited were “jumps on counters/tables,” “scratches furniture” and “spits up hairballs.”

“Interestingly, the primary negative factors for not owning a cat can be readily addressed with appropriate behavioral training, scratching posts and specific diets,” said Patricia N. Olson, DVM, PhD, president and CEO of the Foundation. “If people had a better understanding of feline health and behavior, they might be more willing to adopt a cat.”

The good news: about 10 percent of the non–cat owners surveyed would definitely or probably consider having a cat, and an additional 12 percent would maybe consider having a cat. Top factors behind positive opinions about cats included the match between a cat and a person’s lifestyle and a cat as being a potentially good pet for children.

The three top-rated positive behaviors cited included “likes to play,” “entertains itself” and “makes people smile.”

The survey indicated the groups that may be interested in cat adoption. Men were more likely than women to consider a cat, and younger respondents had a more positive attitude toward cats than did older respondents.

“Many of the negative attitudes indicated in the survey responses are based on stereotypes and misperceptions of feline behavior,” Olson said. “Studies have shown that cats significantly benefit human health and well-being, so if we as a society could work to eliminate the negativity surrounding cats, both cats and humans would reap the benefits.”

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The carbon pawprint of a pet dog is more than double that of a gas-guzzling sports utility vehicle, according to a new study that suggests man’s best friend is a threat to the environment.

The assertion comes in the book “Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living” by New Zealanders Robert and Brenda Vale, according to a recent story by Agence France Press (AFP).

The Vales, specialists in sustainable living at Victoria University of Wellington, analyzed popular brands of pet food and calculated that a medium-sized dog eats around 360 pounds of meat and 209 pounds of cereal a year, according to AFP.

Combine the land required to generate its food and a “medium” sized dog has an annual footprint of 2.07 acres — around twice the area required by a 4×4 driving 6,200 miles a year, including energy to build the car.

To confirm the results, the New Scientist magazine asked John Barrett at the Stockholm Environment Institute in York, Britain, to calculate eco-pawprints based on his own data. The results were essentially the same, AFP said.

Other animals aren’t much better for the environment, the Vales said.

Cats have an eco-footprint slightly less than driving a Volkswagen Golf for a year, while two hamsters equates to a plasma television and even a goldfish burns energy equivalent to two mobile telephones.

But Reha Huttin, president of France’s 30 Million Friends animal rights foundation, said the human impact of eliminating pets would be equally devastating.

“Pets are anti-depressants, they help us cope with stress, they are good for the elderly,” Huttin told AFP.

“Everyone should work out their own environmental impact. I should be allowed to say that I walk instead of using my car and that I don’t eat meat, so why shouldn’t I be allowed to have a little cat to alleviate my loneliness?”

The Vales did say that steps could be taken to reduce pawprints, such as not feeding cats the richest food or not walking dogs in wildlife areas.

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The news last week about the first confimed case of H1N1 flu in a dog came as no shock to veterinarians.

“It’s not surprising to me that we’re seeing this in dogs,” Dr. Douglas Aspros, a veterinarian in White Plains N.Y. and president of the Westchester County Board of Health told an area website, LoHud.com.

The dog, a 13-year-old mixed-breed male came down with the illness – also known as Swine Flu – in nearby Bedford Hills. N.Y.

“If you have H1N1, it is possible that your dog will catch it too,” Aspros said. “I don’t think people should be worried about catching something from their pets.”

The virus has been previously diagnosed in several animal species, including swine, turkeys, cats and ferrets.

When the first Swine Flu case in a cat was reported in the Fall, a Colorado Veterinary Medical Association spokesman said it was not an altogether unexpected event, adding: “We are advising pet owners to monitor their pets’ health very closely, no matter what type of animal, and visit a veterinarian if there are any signs of illness.”

This is the case until men retire. After age 65, pet care seems to be split half and half.

The study was cited in an article in the Foster, N.H., Daily Democrat by a former dog breeder who said it mirrors his experience. Just look around the waiting room of your local veterinarian, he added.

Travel and Fitness Editor Kyle Wagner grew up in Pittsburgh and lived in Lake County, Ill., and Naples, Fla., before moving to Denver in 1993, where she reviewed restaurants for Westword before moving to The Denver Post in 2002. She considers the best days to be those that involve her teenage daughters and doing something outside, preferably mountain biking or whitewater rafting.

The pursuit of a healthier state through better living. The Denver Post's ColoradoFit blog features local experts on the latest fitness trends, active lifestyles and nutrition options in Colorado and beyond.